Rebecca: The main character of the story.Gemma: Rebecca's grandmother.
Stan: Rebecca's editor
Josef: Man that Rebecca meets in Poland.
Summary:"You must understand that this is a story of survivors, not heros" (Yolen 163). Briar Rose is a story about Becca Berlin's quest to find out her grandmothers past. When Becca was a little girl Gemma would tell her the story of sleeping beauty. She would claim that she was the princess, Briar Rose, from the story. When Becca got older she stopped believing her grandmother but Gemma still insisted that she was Briar Rose. "Promise me you will find the castle. Promise me you will find the prince." (Yolen 16). That was Gemma's dying wish. She made Becca swear that she would find her castle and her prince. After Gemma died Becca's mother found a box of Gemma's stuff in her drawer. In the box there were pictures, documents, and old newspaper articles. They were the only clues about Gemma's past that Becca had. Because Gemma changed her name, when she came to the United States, during World War II, Becca didn't even know what her real name was. Becca ends up enlisting her editor Stan to help her uncover her grandmothers past. They travel to Oswego, the city that all the newspaper articles were from, and they meet a man named Harvey Goldman who knew Gemma when she was in a refugee camp. He didn't know her name; he only knew her as Ksiezniczka (polish for princess). When they got back home they went over all the documents they had. One document asks for Gemma's last permanent address. Something was written there and then crossed out. Stan had the idea to inlarge it and see if they could make out what it said. The could read the word Kulmhof. Becca calls Harvey Goldman to see if he could tell them what it meant. He told Becca that Kulmhof was an extermination camp and her grandmother couldn't have been there because "No woman ever escaped from Kulmhof alive" (Yolen 96). Becca decided that they only way to discover her grandmother's past was to travel to Poland, and vistit Kulmhof. Her travels eventually lead her to Josef who told her the story of her grandmother. Gemma had been at Kulmhof. She had been gased and thrown into a pit; Josef and Becca's grandfather, The Avenger, saw her moving and pulled her out. The Avenger used his medical school training to save her life. Gemma could not remember anything about her life. The only thing that she could remember was the story of Briar Rose, so they called her princess. During their short time spent together Princess and The Avenger fell in love and got married. Not long after they were married The Avenger was shot by a German. Princess and Josef excaped. They got Gemma fake identificaton and she escaped to America.
Video from the Disney Movie Sleeping Beauty
Would I Recommend It? Yes. I think that Briar Rose is an amazing book. It is such an entertaining story. It was a mystery and love story all in one. The mystery of Gemma's past was so interesting to read about. I think that hearing Gemma's story was the best part of the book; I had been anticipating it from the very begining. The story of Gemma and The Avenger was so cute. I was so happy when I found out that they got married. Becca and Stan relationship was also really cute. Throughout the whole book I had been hoping that they would get together at the end.
Why is it Outstanding? There is so much history involved in Briar Rose. Before I read it I thought that I knew a lot about the Holocaust, but after reading it I realized that there is so much I do not know. Before I read it I had never heard of Kulmhof. Reading Briar Rose made me want to find out more about the Holocaust and find out what else I do not know. There is also history about the story of Sleeping Beauty. I did not know that Sleeping Beauty exsisted before Disney made a movie about it. I was so suprised that there was so much behind the story. It also really made me think. I was always trying to figure out what was going to happen. When I started I was sure I knew how it was going to end but I was completely wrong. There were so many twists to the story; it made things interesting and it kept me guessing.
by Jane Yolen
"We'll get to happily
ever after
eventually" (Yolen 237).
Important Characters:
Rebecca: The main character of the story.Gemma: Rebecca's grandmother.
Stan: Rebecca's editor
Josef: Man that Rebecca meets in Poland.
Summary:"You must understand that this is a story of survivors, not heros" (Yolen 163).
Briar Rose is a story about Becca Berlin's quest to find out her grandmothers past. When Becca was a little girl Gemma would tell her the story of sleeping beauty. She would claim that she was the princess, Briar Rose, from the story. When Becca got older she stopped believing her grandmother but Gemma still insisted that she was Briar Rose. "Promise me you will find the castle. Promise me you will find the prince." (Yolen 16). That was Gemma's dying wish. She made Becca swear that she would find her castle and her prince. After Gemma died Becca's mother found a box of Gemma's stuff in her drawer. In the box there were pictures, documents, and old newspaper articles. They were the only clues about Gemma's past that Becca had. Because Gemma changed her name, when she came to the United States, during World War II, Becca didn't even know what her real name was. Becca ends up enlisting her editor Stan to help her uncover her grandmothers past. They travel to Oswego, the city that all the newspaper articles were from, and they meet a man named Harvey Goldman who knew Gemma when she was in a refugee camp. He didn't know her name; he only knew her as Ksiezniczka (polish for princess). When they got back home they went over all the documents they had. One document asks for Gemma's last permanent address. Something was written there and then crossed out. Stan had the idea to inlarge it and see if they could make out what it said. The could read the word Kulmhof. Becca calls Harvey Goldman to see if he could tell them what it meant. He told Becca that Kulmhof was an extermination camp and her grandmother couldn't have been there because "No woman ever escaped from Kulmhof alive" (Yolen 96). Becca decided that they only way to discover her grandmother's past was to travel to Poland, and vistit Kulmhof. Her travels eventually lead her to Josef who told her the story of her grandmother. Gemma had been at Kulmhof. She had been gased and thrown into a pit; Josef and Becca's grandfather, The Avenger, saw her moving and pulled her out. The Avenger used his medical school training to save her life. Gemma could not remember anything about her life. The only thing that she could remember was the story of Briar Rose, so they called her princess. During their short time spent together Princess and The Avenger fell in love and got married. Not long after they were married The Avenger was shot by a German. Princess and Josef excaped. They got Gemma fake identificaton and she escaped to America.
Video from the Disney Movie Sleeping Beauty
Would I Recommend It?
Yes. I think that Briar Rose is an amazing book. It is such an entertaining story. It was a mystery and love story all in one. The mystery of Gemma's past was so interesting to read about. I think that hearing Gemma's story was the best part of the book; I had been anticipating it from the very begining. The story of Gemma and The Avenger was so cute. I was so happy when I found out that they got married. Becca and Stan relationship was also really cute. Throughout the whole book I had been hoping that they would get together at the end.
Why is it Outstanding?
There is so much history involved in Briar Rose. Before I read it I thought that I knew a lot about the Holocaust, but after reading it I realized that there is so much I do not know. Before I read it I had never heard of Kulmhof. Reading Briar Rose made me want to find out more about the Holocaust and find out what else I do not know. There is also history about the story of Sleeping Beauty. I did not know that Sleeping Beauty exsisted before Disney made a movie about it. I was so suprised that there was so much behind the story. It also really made me think. I was always trying to figure out what was going to happen. When I started I was sure I knew how it was going to end but I was completely wrong. There were so many twists to the story; it made things interesting and it kept me guessing.
Yolen, Jane. Briar Rose. New York: TOR, 1992.
Book Cover: http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51N74HM92TL.jpg</span
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7VWhHktNMM&feature=related